Mixing device for spinnerettes



R. FAYS ET L MIXING DEVICE FOR SPINNERETTES March 14, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 17, 1964 Inventors 5m; F2

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Attorney 1 March 14, 1967 R. FAYS ET AL 3,308,503

MIXING DEVICE FOR SPINNERETTES Filed March 17, 1964 4 Sheets- Sheet 2 Inventors E rs F y A tlorney March 14, 1967 FAYS ET AL 3,308,503

MIXING DEVICE FOR SPINNERETTES Filed March 17, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 lnuenlorfi perv/ FA ys W4 L TERssm- E By v I a z tlorney March 14, 1967 F YS ET AL 3,308,503

MIXING DEVICE FOR SPINNERETTES Filed March 17, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventors United States Patent fiice 338,563 Patented Mar. 14, 1967 3,308,503 MIXING DEVICE FOR SPINNERETTES Rene Fays, Paris, France, and Walter Settcle, Seeburg- Lucerne, Switzerland, assignors to Textile 8; Chemical Research Company Limited, Vaduz, Liechtenstein, a corporation of Liechtenstein Filed Mar. 17. 1964, Ser. No. 352,465 Claims priority, appiication France, Mar. 22, 1963, 928,925 4 Claims. ((11. 18-8) The present invention relates to a device for spinning artificial or synthetic fibres and filaments which comprise two or more juxtaposed constituents distributed substantially identically over the entire length of the fibres and filaments so as to impart to the latter a continuous structural hetero eneity in the longitudinal direction. It is known that filaments and fibres of this type have advantageous properties and they can in particular curl spontaneously or when subsequently treated, for example under the action of heat, stretching, swelling in liquid medium, etc.

The present invention provides an apparatus for producing more or less concentric and alternate thin layers of two constituents intended to be simultaneously spun. However, the invention is not limited to the specific apparatus shown and it is obvious that it is applicable to any other variant, for example to the spinning of two, three or four constituents in layers of equal or dilferent thickness.

In the drawings:

FiGS. la and 1b are sectional views illustrating the arrangement of the stacking discs;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the invention applied to a spinning apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale illustrating the arrangement of the various layers of material as formed by this auaratus; and 7 FIG. 4- is a diagrammatic view illustrating the fibre arrangement in the product.

The apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1a and 1b and in FIG. 2 is composed of a stack of thin discs 1 ,1 1 1 separated by annular packings 2 2. 2 2, so that the assembly forms a succession of contiguous circular chamhers 3 3 3 5 The discs 1 i 1 i each comprise at their centre a circular perforation 4 4 4 4 so that the diameter of the perforation 4 is slightly greater than the diameter of the perforation 4 the diameter of the perforation 4 is slightly greater than the diameter of the perforation 4 the diameter of the perforation 4 is slightly greater than the diameter of the perforation 4 etc. The discs 1 comprise in addition a series of peripheral holes 5, 6, and the annular packings 2 disposed between the discs 3; comprise a series of peripheral holes similar to 5, 6, so that the alternate stacking of the discs and the packings forms continuous longitudinal channels 7, 8 parallel to the axis XX'. The materials A and B intended to form the concentric layers are fed through these channels 7, 8. The contiguous annular chambers 3 communicate laterally with the channels 7, 8 th ough recesses 9, it formed in the packings opposite the channel which it is desired to bring into communication with the chamber. PEG. 2 shows that the chamber 3 fed with material A through the recesses it formed in front of the holes 5 in the packing 2 produces an initial column 11 of material A. The chamber 3 fed with material B through the recesses 9 formed in front of the holes 6 of the packing 2 thereafter produces an annular layer 11 of material B a ound the initial column 11 of material A. The process thereafter continues in the same way, and the chamber 3 fed with material A through the recesses it) formed in front of the holes 5 of the packing 2 produces a further annular layer 11 of material A around the preceding annular layer 11 of material B. By stacking the desired number of discs and packings one upon the other, a series of n alternate annular layers of the two constituents A and B is very readily formed with the aid of this apparatus, without any limitation. The thickness of the layers formed is equal to the difference of the radii of the central perforations of two consecutive discs and it may be varied at will. The apparatus is particularly advantageous because it permits of preparing upstream of the sninneret, at a great distance from the latter, and by a sim le means an assembly of constituents formed of a very large number of layers of millimetric dimensions. All of the concentric layers thus formed may be caused to travel through the collectors usually employed for the feeding of the spinnerets. The relative arrangement of the constituents is not destroyed by the travel through the collectors, despite the changes of cross-sectional size or direction. The cross-section of the combination of concentric lavers formed is thereafter effectively limited by reducing the diameter of the collector by Way of a conical tube 12. The layers then acquires the micromillimetric dimensions which are compatible with the use of spinnerets formed with 1,000 holes or more to the square centimet e. There simply occurs in this case a reduction of the thickness of the layers, but the latter retain their regular concentric arrangement. Since the cross-section of the assembly is proportional to the square of the number of concentric layers, it is sufficient, for example, to treble the number of layers in order to feed a spinneret having nine times more holes.

The number of peripheral holes forming the supply channels may also vary within wide limits, and there may be introduced into the apparatus the number of spinnable materials which is considered desirable, and the annular chambers may be fed in a predetermined order. By varying the thickness of the Dackings, or the diameter of the central perforations of the discs, it is possible to form concentric layers of equal or different thicknesses, and this result may also be obtained by varying the rates of flow of the scinnable materials introduced into the apparatus. In addition, the central perforations in the discs may have a non-circular cross-section, for example oval, square, rectangular, etc. delivery end of the apparatus layers Whose cross-section has the shape appropriate for the proposed use.

Therefore, it is possible to obtain with normally apertured, and unpartitioned spinnerets results similar to those obtained with partitioned spinnerets, but in much simpler and more flexible manner.

It is obvious that the nature of the constituents which are simultaneously spun may be varied at will without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, viscoses may be employed which differ from one another by the caustic soda content, by the degree of xanthation, by the viscosity, by the salt point, by the presence or absence of coagulation retarders, etc. The invention is also applicable to the wet spinning and the dry spinning of other materials of high molecular weight, such as, for example, the cellulose esters and ethers, the proteins, the polymers and the conolymers of vinyl chloride, of acrylonitrile or of vinylidene cyanide, polyvinyl alcohol, etc. The invention is also applicable to the meet spinning of, for example, polyamides, polyesters, polyurethanes, polyurcas, polyolefins, etc.

There will nOW be described an example of spinning carried out with the aid of the described apparatus. Example: A viscose A containing 9% of cellulose and 4.8% of caustic soda, having a viscosity of poises and a salt point of 4, is prepared, and then a viscose B containing 8% of cellulose and 7% of caustic soda, and having a viscosity of 40' poises and a salt point of 5.25. Viscose B also contains small quantities of coagulation There are then obtained at the sulphuric acid.

retarders such as, for example, amines or polyamines, polyoxyalkylenes, condensation products of amines and alkylene oxides, etc., in a proportion of from 0.1% to (calculated on the alpha-cellulose). The two viscoses A and B are thereafter filtered and degasified in the usual way, and ar individually supplied by means of geared pumps, with a ratio of volumetric flow rate of A :B=,50:50, to a device for forming thin concentric layers as previously described. This device comprises 125 discs, of which the central perforations have a diameter increasing by 0.2 mm. from one disc to the next, whereby it is possible to obtain layers whose uniform thickness is 0.1 mm. The discs (and the corresponding packings) each have six peripheral perforations forming six longitudinal channels which are fed respectively in groups of three by the viscose A and by the viscose B, which arrive separately through the nozzles 13 and 14. It is arranged that the viscose A and the viscose B penetrate in turns into the consecutive chambers formed by the packings and the discs, so as to form 125 regularly alternating layers of viscose A and viscose B, the combination of which appears at the delivery end of the apparatus in the form of a cylinder with a radius equal to 125 0.1 mm., i.e. 12.5 mm., and consequently with a diameter equal to 25 mm. P16. 3 illustrates a partial cross-section through the cylinder of concentric layers of the two viscoses A and B (differently pigmented as required). This section shows the already very satisfactory regularity of the thickness of the concentric layers formed. The diameter of the said cylinder of concentric layers is thereafter reduced to 15 mm. by passing it through an intermediate frustoconical tube and the structure of concentric layers is supplied to a nozzle having 7,500 holes, which is usual in the artificial staple fibre industry. The holes in the nozzle, which have a diameter of ,4 mm, are equidistant and distributed over a useful surface of 45 mm. diameter. The spinneret comprises a normal metal filter, but this does not substantially affect the width and the regularity of the arrangement of the thin layers, which merely acquire a slightly sawtoothed profile. The filaments formed are coagulated in a first bath at 64 C. containing 95 g. of sulphuric acid, 120 g. of sodium sulphate and 75 g. of zinc sulphate per litre, and also products having an appropriate surface activity. The filaments formed travel 90 cm. through the first bath, Whereafter they are stretched by 90% in a second boiling aqueous bath containing small quantities (10 g./l.) of

The bundle of filaments, optionally previously relaxed, or the cut filaments, are immersed in boiling water to develop the crimp. The filaments or fibres are thereafter subjected to the deacidifying, desulphurizing, washing, dressing, opening and drying operations.

The filaments obtained under these conditions have the following characteristics:

Crimp (undulations/cm.) 14-16 The crimp obtained is very pronounced, and it is stable under washing treatments. FIG. 4 shows that the fibre sections obtained all have a mixed structure, formed of the two constituents juxtaposed in two or even three, four or five alternate layers.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for spinning crimped artificial or synthetic fibres and filaments comprising two or more juxtaposed constituents which are identically distributed over the entire length of the fibres and filaments so as to impart thereto a continuously heterogeneous structure in the longitudinal direction, said apparatus comprising a stack of thin discs formed with circular central perforations of increasing diameter, said discs being separated from one another by annular packings so that the assembly forms a succession of chambers, and means feeding each of said chambers with a predetermined material to be spun, the said chambers discharging in succession through said center perforations so as to form a column of said material consisting of a succession of thin annular layers adapted to be fed to a spinneret.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which a. plurality of longitudinal passages are formed through said stack of discs and packings, said passages communicating with alternate chambers between successive discs whereby the material in said passages is discharged in the center of inter-leaved concentric layers.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which a conduit is connected to the discharge side of said stack of discs, said conduit communicating with a second conduit of different diameter thereby varying the cross-sectional area of the column of inter-leaved material therein.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including a spinneret having rows of holes therein in which the thickness of the layers of material is less than one-half the distance between the centers of adjacent holes in said spinneret.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,031,387 2/ 1936 Schwarz 18-8 2,820,249 1/1958 Colombo 18-13 2,879,547 3/1959 Morris 264-471 2,952,043 9/1960 Uraneck et al. 264-171 3,039,524 6/1962 Belck et al. 161177 3,117,906 1/1964 Tanner 161177 3,123,858 3/1964 McDermott 18-8 3,131,427 5/1964 Mika et al. 188 3,176,345 4/1965 Powell 18--8 WILLIAM J. STEPHENSON, Primary Examiner.

EARL M. BERGERT, A. J. SMEDEROVAC,

Assistant Examiners. 

1. APPARATUS FOR SPINNING CRIMPED ARTIFICIAL OR SYNTHETIC FIBRES AND FILAMENTS COMPRISING TWO OR MORE JUXTAPOSED CONSTITUENTS WHICH ARE IDENTICALLY DISTRIBUTED OVER THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE FIBRES AND FILAMENTS SO AS TO IMPART THERETO A CONTINUOUSLY HETEROGENEOUS STRUCTURE IN THE LONGITUDINAL DIRECTION, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A STACK OF THIN DISCS FORMED WITH CIRCULAR CENTRAL PERFORATIONS OF INCREASING DIAMETER, SAID DISCS BEING SEPARATED FROM THE ONE ANOTHER BY ANNULAR PACKINGS SO THAT THE ASSEMBLY FROMS A SUCCESSION OF CHAMBERS, AND MEANS FEEDING EACH OF SAID CHAMBERS WITH A PREDETERMINED MATERIAL TO BE SPUN, THE SAID CHAMBERS DISCHARGING IN SUCCESSION THROUGH SAID CENTER PERFORATIONS SO AS TO FORM A COLUMN OF SAID MATERIAL CONSISTING OF A SUCCESSION OF THIN ANNULAR LAYERS ADAPTED TO BE FED TO A SPINNERET. 